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Transcript of Still life- a history of

A Short History of Still life Egyptian and Roman Still life Antecedents A 'still life' is a work of art, drawing or painting of a collection of inanimate objects which can be either natural or man-made.

The French for still life is 'nature morte', meaning 'dead nature' referring to the subject matter of early still life's often being flowers, fruit, and other kinds of food or dead animals. Late Middle ages Giotto By the 1300's starting with Giotto and his pupils artists began to depict still life objects within larger religious paintings often in small trompe-l'œil style niches within a painting.

During the Middle ages all painting was religious in nature and still life objects often conveyed symbolic meaning. Renaissance 1400's -1600's Petrus Christus 'Still Life with Wine and Smoking Implements' Jan Van Eyck 'The Arnolfili Marriage'Around 1390-1441 The emergence of rich traders allowed art to break away from purely religious themes (although often they persisted in terms of symbolism) while a harking back to the classical age (Greek and Roman art and literature) lead to more naturalistic depictions of objects and the return of the still life. DaVinci & Durer These artists were among the first to break free from religious meaning concentrating on precise examinations of natural objects. 'Still-Life with Partridge and Gauntlets, 1504'His few surviving paintings (about twelve) include the first known example of trompe l'oeil since antiquity Leonardo Da Vinci Albrecht Dürer Jacopo de' Barbari Bodegón Vanitas 'Starting in the Baroque period, Bodegón paintings became popular in Spain in the second quarter of the 17th century.

These paintings depicted pantry items, such as victuals, game, and drink, often arranged on a simple stone slab, and also a painting with one or more figures, but significant still life elements, typically set in a kitchen or tavern. It also refers to low-life or every day objects, which can be painted with flowers, fruits, or other objects to display the painter's mastery'From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodeg%C3%B3n Juan Sánchez Cotán ' Quince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber, 1602,' Francisco de Zurbarán 'Agnus Dei, (Lamb of God in Latin)1635-1640. Francisco de Zurbarán 'Bodegón (Still Life with Pottery Jars), circa 1605.' is a genre of still-life painting that flourished in the Netherlands in the early 17th century.

The name refers to a passage of the Bible in Ecclesiastes 1:2, which says 'vanity of vanities - all is vanity'. The idea was that people love the pleasures in life, the things that make them feel important or wealthy, and yet it all means nothing because time soon passes and we all die. Pieter Claesza'Vanitas, 1630.' Linard, Jacques 'Vanitas, c.1644 Willem Claeszoon Heda 'Still life, 1651.' Egyptian tombs were painted with still life objects for use in the afterlife. Objects were stacked one on top of the other and no thought was given to perspective or shading.The Greeks and Romans made wall paintings and mosaics which showed more realistic perspective and shading. These were used as signs of hospitality and as celebrations of the seasons and of life. Egyptian Tomb painting "Still Life with Peaches, found at Herculaneum" "Still life with eggs and thrushes, from the Villa di Giulia Felice, Pompeii" Adriaen Van Utrecth 'Still life with a bouquet and a skull, 1642 The Symbolism of Flowers The most common flowers and their symbolic meanings include: Rose (Virgin Mary, transience, Venus, love); Lily (Virgin Mary, virginity, female breast, purity of mind or justice); Tulip (showiness, nobility); Sunflower (faithfulness, divine love, devotion); Violet (modesty, reserve, humility); Columbine (melancholy); Poppy (power, sleep, death). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Still_life 19th Century With the rise of the European academies still life fell from favour and became the lowest in a hierarchy of themes.